Question

When a mobile telephone physically moves from one cell to another cell, the base station transfers ownership to the cell getting strongest signal. This process is known as ________
1. Handoff
2. Mobile routing
3. Mobile switching
4. Cell Switching

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Handoff

During a conversation, the mobile station moves from one cell to another. When it does, the signal become weak. To solve this problem, MSC monitors the level of the signal every few seconds. If strength of the signal diminishes, MSC seeks a new call that can better accommodate the communication. The MSC then changes the channel carrying the call. This is known as handoff.

Handoff are of two types:

1. Hard handoff: When a mobile station only communicates with one base station.
2. Soft handoff: In this, a mobile station can communicate with two base stations at the same time.